Don't Look Now

The conclusion of our two part episode on Jim Jones and the People's Temple.  The People's Temple moves to California and problems begin in earnest.  The cult eventually moves to Guyana and creates the settlement of Jonestown where is slowly decays into human rights abuses and ultimately the Jonestown Massacre.  Don't drink the Flavor Aid.

We discuss the early life of Jim Jones, the cult leader most infamous for the mass murder/suicide of his followers at Jonestown in Guyana.  From his start in life as part of a desperately poor and dysfunctional family, to his alternately being a preacher, atheist, communist, civil rights crusader, and cult leader, his life seems to be a constant contradiction full of shifting positions.  Take a listen and see what you think. 

Today's podcast deals with a couple of the lesser known cryptids of the United States: The Pukwudgies of the Massachusetts woods and the wand wielding frog people of Ohio.  Time for a little detour into the weird ;)

During and after World War I, a group of women living in Nagyrev, Hungary, used arsenic to poison up to 300 men.  The ringleader of the group was Zsuzanna Fazekas, a local midwife with a strangely missing husband.  The poisoning was initially aimed at abusive husbands, but eventually spread to parents of the women involved and thier own children.  

Our topic this week is the Marquise de Montespan, a noblewoman renowned for her beauty and with that became the mistress of King Louis XIV of France and one of the post powerful people in the country.  She was accused of being part of the "Affair of the Poisons" when it was revealed that a large chunk of the court of Louis XIV had been poisoning each other with the aid of Catherine Monvoisin, who was burned at the stake as a witch.  Take a listen to the of intrigue in the French Royal Court.

Today's topic is the Roman Emperor Nero, or Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus to be more exact.  Most famous today for possibly enjoying the great fire of Rome a bit too much and for persecuting Christians afterwards, we take a look at the actual history.  What all did Nero get up to that has made him a villain to this day?  How much is true and how much is made up by political enemies?  Take as listen and see what we could find.

This week out subject is out of body experiences.  There are estimates that up to 1 in 10 people have an out of body experience at some point, seeing yourself disconnect from an outside viewpoint, or feeling like you are not co-located with your body.  They are most closely associated with lucid dreaming and near death experiences, but can occur in may difference situations.  Most people agree that it is indeed an experience that many people share, but there is wide disagreement as to the cause.  Is it just a lucid dream state or is it your soul wandering from your body?  Come take a listen and see what you think.

In the midst of WWII, conflict broke out in Los Angeles between members of the navy and Mexican American youth stemming from tensions from a naval base being built over a primarily Mexican community and the young people in the community flaunting zoot suits that defied rationing laws.  In 1943 these tensions spilled over into violence as thousands of navy sailors began to attack anyone the could find wearing a zoot suit or other clothing that made them appear related to the pachuco youth culture movement.  Take a listen and learn about the real Zoot Suit Riots.

The 369th Infantry Regiment, now known as the Harlem Hellfighers, or the Black Rattlers, was formed in the lead up to the US's entry into WWI as a regiment of black men predominantly from New York City and surrounding areas.  It ended up being the US unit that spent more time on the front lines of WWI then any other unit, being detached and assigned to French command, fighting with distinction in multiple battles.  We discuss how the regiment was founded, some famous members, and their legacy today.

This week we have a couple of early tall tales or urban legends from the 18th and 19th century.  First up is Tarrare, a French street performer and sometime soldier that was constantly hungry, eating literally anything organic he could get his hands on.  The second being Edward Mordrake, a supposed heir to a wealthy family that had a second face on the back of his head that whispered bad things to him at night.  Both fascinating, and both most likely tall tales, but certainly worth a listen. 

This week we discuss Native American origin stories.  Just about every culture has a story for how the world was created that tells you something about it's core values and beliefs.  Many Native cultures in the Americas share a creation story involving the creation of the land on the back of a turtle.  For this reason, North America is sometimes referred to as Turtle Island.  Take a listen and learn a bit about the creation of the world.

In the late 60s people started reporting seeing the dead rising from Highgate Cemetery in London.  General wave of mass hysteria broke out leading mobs of people to flock to the cemetery with stakes to hunt the vampire.  It also produced one of the strangest rivalries between two occult "experts" who both claimed to have successfully hunted the vampire. 

There are legends among the Cherokee and other Native American tribes of a people that existed in North America well before the arrival of Columbus  that had very light skin and large "moon eyes".  Theories have abounded about who or what these Moon Eyed people were, from Albinos, to decedents of pre-Columbian  Welsh explorers, to Aliens (of course).  Take a listen and see what you think is behind the stories of the Moon Eyed People

Mankind has been practicing many forms of body modification for tens of thousands of years.  Most are aware of things like piercings and tattoos, but there are some more extreme forms that have been used across the globe at different times by different societies.  One of these, is intentional cranial deformation, or skull shaping.  Many groups have bound the heads of their children to create a particular skull shape that was considered aesthetically pleasing or a sign of high social standing.  Listen in and find out all about the art of shaping one's head. 

One of the most enduring myths from the time of Spanish conquest of the New World is the take of El Dorado, the city of gold.  We discuss the actual historical roots of the myth and how the Spanish and other colonial powers began to dream of cities full of gold.

This week's podcast details two tales of missing persons who were assumed dead in strange circumstances and were eventually found years later.  Always good when a disappearance has a happy (ish) ending.

This week we discuss the Unification Church, more commonly known as The Moonies.  The church was founded by Sun Myung Moon and began to grow in the years after World War II.  Moon claimed to be the second coming of Jesus Christ, sent to complete his mission on earth and bring about The Kingdom of God.  The church is widely considered to by a cult and is mostly known for it's huge mass marriage ceremonies, marrying thousands of couples at once.  Interestingly the church has branched in to politics and business, with forays into seafood and world politics.  Come take a listen and learn more.

The fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was the deadliest industrial disaster in US history.  146 workers lost their lives when a fire started in the factory, located on the 8th - 10th floors of the Asch Building near Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village.   The owners of the building kept the doors of the factory locked during working hours to prevent the workers from taking unauthorized breaks and lead to the great loss of life.  Come learn about the fire, and the effect it had on worker safety in America.

Time for a little story about mysterious treasure, tons of gold, land lost to immanent domain, and the whole lot possibly stolen by... LBJ?  The treasure of Victorio Peak was found by Doc Noss in 1937, and supposedly dwelled without hidden caverns under the mountain.  However, before he could removed it all, the area was taken over as part of White Sands Missile Range.  Legal battles raged over who owned the treasure and who could search for it and rumors even persist that Lyndon Johnson himself showed up on the scene to run off with the gold.  Come take a listen to the story of lost Mexican gold... it's a wild one. 

Time for a deep dive into some lesser known mythology.  Rather than Greeks, Romans, or Norse, we take a look at a figure from Irish mythology, The Morrigan.  The Morrigan is an Irish goddess of war and fate that plays a role in many ancient Gaelic stories.  She backs various figures in battle, controls the fate of kingdoms, and often like to hang out as a raven or cow.  What's not to like?  Tune in and find out more.